Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed the hunger of his side after they brushed aside Hibernian on Sunday.
Rodgers' side are into the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup after a 3-1 victory at Celtic Park.
Daizen Maeda scored twice in the opening 15 minutes during a one-sided start before Nicolas Kuhn's second-half finish made sure of victory after Mykola Kuharevich's header had the visitors back in the contest.
Celtic will face Falkirk in the next round, where Rodgers will hope his Scottish Premiership champions can replicate Sunday's fine performance.
"I thought we were excellent from the start of the game. We showed our hunger," Rodgers said after the comfortable triumph.
"We said before the game that our playmaker today would be our counter-pressing. It was there and we were winning so many second balls.
"Our only real danger was from throw-ins. They've got guys on either side who can throw it in and add a little bit of pressure and make you fret a little bit.
"We dealt well with that, and their header was a great header. We don't have any complaints. We could maybe have shifted our wall back a bit but we'll learn from that."
This victory came just a week after Celtic had dispatched the same opponents 2-0, their second victory in as many league games to start the season.
The Hoops also hammered Kilmarnock 4-0 in their Scottish Premiership opener, with an away trip to St. Mirren the next test of their title defence.
An Old Firm challenge then awaits as Celtic welcome Rangers on September 1, though Rodgers will be confident of his side's capabilities based on their early showings this term.
Verona 3-0 Napoli: Conte oversees humiliating loss on Partenopei bow
Napoli's Serie A season began in calamitous fashion on Sunday as they were thrashed 3-0 by Verona, also losing star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to injury.
Antonio Conte, overseeing his first league game in charge of the 2023 Scudetto winners, was forced to withdraw Kvaratskhelia just before half-time after the Georgian collided with Pawel Dawidowicz.
Napoli's problems mounted after the break when Dailon Livramento got in front of their defence to slot home from close range and give the hosts the lead.
The nightmare continued for Napoli after 75 minutes as substitute Daniel Mosquera received a throughball and calmly slotted his finish past Alex Meret.
With Napoli throwing men forward late on, Verona added some gloss to the scoreline as Mosquera claimed his brace, tapping home a cutback from Darko Lazovic for his brace.
Data Debrief: Conte's perfect record ends
After a dismal 2023-24 season that saw Napoli, as defending champions, go through three head coaches and finish 10th in Serie A, hopes were high that Conte's arrival would herald an instant upturn.
However, the Partenopei were stunned in his first league game at the helm, as he started a season as a Serie A manager with a defeat for the very first time.
He had previously registered five wins and one draw on matchday one in the competition.
S L Horsfords St. Paul’s United crowned 2024 National Bank Premier League Champions
S L Horsfords St. Paul’s United clinched the 2024 National Bank Group of Companies Premier League title in spectacular fashion, securing their championship with a 2-0 victory over DBSKN St. Peters FC in Game 2 of the finals at Warner Park on Thursday, August 15.
The win, coupled with their dominant 3-0 triumph in Game 1 on Sunday, August 11, solidified their status as the premier team in St. Kitts and Nevis football.
The final match was a tense affair, with St. Paul’s United taking an early lead in the fifth minute, courtesy of an own goal by St. Peter's Devion Harvey. Just five minutes later, Keithroy Freeman doubled the advantage, putting St. Paul’s firmly in control of the game. Despite St. Peter’s FC’s best efforts, they were unable to break through the St. Paul’s defense, and the match ended 2-0, handing St. Paul’s United the championship.
The 2024 season saw several standout performances across the league, with individual awards highlighting the best players and coaches.
Austin Huggins of St. Peter’s FC was named Coach of the Year, a recognition of his leadership and tactical acumen throughout the season. Despite the finals loss, Huggins' work with St. Peter’s FC did not go unnoticed.
The Golden Glove award, given to the best goalkeeper of the season, went to Zian Drew of Old Road United FC, who consistently displayed exceptional skill between the posts. His teammate, Omarion Liburd, was named Defender of the Year, acknowledging his crucial role in maintaining a solid defensive line for Old Road United FC.
St. Peter’s FC’s Tyquan Terrell had a remarkable season, earning both the Midfielder of the Year and Regular Season MVP awards. Terrell’s vision, passing accuracy, and ability to control the tempo of the game were key factors in St. Peter’s FC’s strong performances throughout the season. Kimaree Rogers of Village Superstars FC took home the Golden Boot award, recognizing him as the league’s top scorer.
In the finals, it was Omar Francis of St. Paul’s United who stood out, earning the Finals MVP award for his exceptional play and leadership on the pitch, helping to secure the championship for his team.
The SKNFA also celebrated achievements in the SKNFA Division One, where George Gilbert of Molineux FC was named Coach of the Year, and Vaughn Patrick of Mantab FC received the Best Goalkeeper award. The Most Goals award was shared between Sylvester Alexander of Mantab FC and Kurt Mills of Saddlers FC, both of whom had an impressive goal-scoring season. The MVP award for the division went to Josiah Bradshaw of Dieppe Bay Eagles FC, who was instrumental in his team’s success.
The SKNFA extended its congratulations to all the coaches and players who delivered outstanding performances this season, marking the end of an exciting and competitive senior men’s domestic football season. However, the football action continues with the SKNFA Youth Leagues, the Elvis Star Brown Women’s League, and international fixtures scheduled for the remainder of the year.
S L Horsfords St. Paul’s United’s victory in the 2024 Premier League has not only crowned them champions but has also set a high standard for excellence in St. Kitts and Nevis football.
Chelsea 0-2 Manchester City: Haaland and Kovacic help champions to opening triumph
Manchester City opened their Premier League title defence with little trouble after sweeping aside Chelsea with a 2-0 away victory on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola's team are chasing a record-extending fifth consecutive title and opened their 2024-25 campaign with a routine three points at Stamford Bridge, in stark contrast to the remarkable 4-4 draw in this fixture last term.
Erling Haaland chipped past Robert Sanchez with a well-taken opener in the first half of his 100th appearance for City, profiting from Bernardo Silva's deft offload to send the visitors on their way to victory.
Nicolas Jackson responded for Chelsea by having an equaliser ruled out before the break, with the Blues striker caught offside after Ederson unconvincingly parried from Cole Palmer's dipping strike.
Jackson again tested Ederson after the interval with a volley from Romeo Lavia's header, but Mateo Kovacic's fine individual finish against his former club six minutes from time sealed the win.
Victory saw City – who also had a Rico Lewis goal disallowed – join seven other teams on three points, while Enzo Maresca's Chelsea are just one place above the bottom three after his first match at the helm.
Data Debrief: Haaland provides further opening-game heroics
Haaland has been directly involved in 106 goals in 100 appearances for City, and the Norway talisman has enjoyed the opening fixture in this competition as well.
The 24-year-old became the first City player to score on matchday one in three consecutive Premier League seasons, after David Silva (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16).
He has also scored 13 times across his nine Premier League appearances in August, two more than Chelsea have managed as a team since the start of the 2022-23 season.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are winless in their last seven league meetings with Man City (D2 L5), since a 2-1 away win in May 2021, and will have to recover before their next top-flight trip to Wolves on Sunday.
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